It's another long weekend in the middle of the Swedish spring. We have a glut of them in April, May and June every year and then pretty much NOTHING until Christmas. This one is for Ascension Day, which is today. My company is great about holidays...we always get a half-day the day before and if the holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, we get the Monday or the Friday off as well. Next week is a regular 5-day work week but then we have another long weekend and a 3-day work week following. And then it's only 2 weeks until midsummer week where we get Friday off...but I have taken the whole week as we are going down to Germany to see my brother and his family.

And after THAT I have only 4 more work days before we leave for the US. It's incredible how fast time goes...I swear it was Christmas moments ago and we're already at the end of May. Geez louise! Or Chess Loo-esh as 2 of Martin's friends used to say when they were little and heard me speaking English.

I haven't done much of anything today except shower, read, run the kids to Sandby to catch the bus, stop at the grocery store and take a nap. And then pick up Martin again this evening.

Oh, and remove all the VHS tapes from the shelves and bag them up for recycling. End of an era, eh? I had said we wouldn't get rid of them until the VHS player died and it finally did. The only ones I have kept are from our wedding and Anders move to Chicago and one that has no label since I am not sure what it is and don't want to throw away something without checking. I also kept Anne of Green Gables, for sentimental reasons. Even if I can't watch it, I don't want to part with it yet. All the VHS tapes filled three large paper bags. And we've gotten rid of tons already in the past.

The thing is, I won't bother even replacing them with DVDs...we have a whole bookshelf full of DVDs and guess what? We almost never watch them either. Everything is Apple TV or streaming or Internet these days. The store chain here that used to rent and sell DVDs has gone over completely to candy and junk food snacks (and I won't be surprised if it goes completely out of business in the next year or so). We have a whole shelf full of CDs as well...another practically obsolete archive. The thing is, there is this little voice in the back of my head that says: don't get rid of them...what if the end times come and don't have Internet anymore? Then you'll still be able to watch the DVDs and listen to the CDs. But that little voice is stupid, because if the end times come, then we probably won't have ELECTRICITY either. Or running water. Or easy access to medicine. God, how depressing.

Anyway.

I sat on the porch for a long time this afternoon, reading, enjoying the warm day, eating a popsicle. I got up to take photos of the lilacs behind the garage which are all blooming beautifully purple, and I checked the cherry tree to make sure the birds haven't eaten all the pre-cherries yet. I bought the net to put on the tree but we haven't all 4 been home at the same time this week so it's not gotten up yet. I hope to do it tomorrow, otherwise the birds will get ahead of us and it won't be worth it. There are a ton of hard little green cherries starting, and I hope we can harvest some of them before we leave or after we get back! Mmmmm cherries!

Oh, I hope your cherry tree has a successful year. Big pigeons are infesting ours already, then it gets some sort of leaf-curl, then either the wasps & birds get the fruits that do ripen, or they ripen while we're away on holiday. Grr! I have fond memories of the one mega-harvest!

I have to clear out much of the same stuff. But here - it goes in the trash, charities won't take it -no one wants them. :( But I'm saving one that has a church youth group concert and ditto an old record! Looking forward to time with you and your family this summer! And I promise to take "good care" of Martin! :0 Love, Lizardmom

Cleaning out and Relegating VHS tapes to the dumpster/recycling seems like a good idea. Until you think about the creep that works at the recycling center. he probably still has a working VHS Maschine and cannot wait to get his hands on your copy of Ghostbusters. or whatever shameful film you have in your eclectic collection. Maybe something with Winona Ryder or such... (Nailed it!) Or maybe you actually have Heathers on DVD... Hmmm.

What type of person are you? or what type of person would we think you were when you divulge a top ten list of these Videos. Or maybe, we will have to wait for the subpoena from the FBI, as I think they might be looking for exactly these types of tapes these days... Hmmm. Where were you exactly on the night of the... Oh right - watching classic movies collect dust while not watching the past repeat itself...

As for the DVD´s - We could probably take a few or more off your hands. I have been living in a cultural quagmire when it concerns Hollywierd the last few years, or decade. Maybe you could recycle some my way. Upcycle! Even if it is Heathers. that one wasn´t so bad, as I recall... Winona Ryder was easy on the eyes if I remember correctly. (Thanks Google!)

Disney? I got kids. they don´t know the wonders of Walt. yet. you got their Bday, Xmas and everything for the next few years wrapped up, if you toss me your collection. Yes all of them. Phantasia too... But you probably have all of them on VHS... dammitttt..

When will the Internet go away? Will Trump make that happen too? Maybe I should go check the recycling center for that VHS Maschine... Gotta go.

nonsense! get all your handy prepper stuff from jula or somewhere. a nice portable solar panel and you can watch anne of green gables just before you decide if it's worth going on or not. yea, don't forget to prep for THAT choice as well. :-)